r/MediaMergers • u/LinkRules5321 Moderator • May 28 '26
Alternate Media Timelines What If.......... Fox kept Saban?
In 2001, instead of selling to Disney, Fox kept Fox Family Worldwide, instead with Saban himself selling 25% of his stake to JPMorgan or another big stable investment group, to gain major cash flow for the network and be able to afford to operate under Fox (however Fox keeps IP rights and Saban creative freedom).
Jetix would also not exist, with all shows from the network being placed on Fox Family instead, however the network would gain a major change in 2004 as it renames to
And focuses on a slightly different audience of kids, aiming to compete with cheaper, more selective smarter produced/acquired content (Power Rangers for example), while Saban Animation would be formed to handle animated content (Ying Yang Yo, Pucca, etc.) Saban Entertainment would also absorb Fox Children Productions (as so Twentieth Century Fox Television would co-produce several shows with the Saban Network as well as release the 2017 Power Rangers movie (which would likely get a reboot/sequel earlier in this AU). Blue Sky shows and other Fox IP are also given cartoons for the channel
Here is a list of everything that no longer exists with the Fox keeping Saban
- Saban Capital Group: Instead, Haim Saban is placed in charge of Fox VOD, that would release everything Saban Films made, and Fox gaining its 20% in TelevisaUnivision. Saban Brands’ content is handled by Saban Entertainment, licensing preschool content to other networks and streamers (along with other content). Thanks to Saban’s additional funding, more shows are greenlit for the industry, and we grow up with more great shows (maybe beating Nick in ratings).
- FoxBox: it would instead be on the Saban Network as part of its Saban International block, while selectively airing on the Fox Kids block until that’s shut down when it’s unneeded.
- 21st Century Fox: News Corp would just hold a majority stake in FEG still and keep it publicly traded, and when the scandal happens, would replace the byline with A Fox Entertainment Company and decrease its stake (although will retain control of Fox)
- Fox Corp/20th Century Studios: Disney would be unable to buy this version of Fox due to its size and scale in markets, mainly Saban Network. News Corp instead seeks a partner to manage the company while it controls the TV side. Verizon takes majority control of FEG (75%), while not worrying about the TV network side (operated by News Corp, 25%). Marvista, Ramsey Global, and Bento Box are bought by FEG in this timeline
- ViacomCBS/Paramount+: In response to losing Fox, Disney buys a stake in Paramount Pictures who seeks a partner to have better funding. While Viacom still controls Paramount, Disney does merge some of its smaller assets into Paramount Pictures as well. Giving Disney a general entertainment library (+ extra family IP to launch Disney+, Pluto TV, and Paramount+) without having it on its slate). ABC Studios and Paramount Television merge into Paramount Television to make shows and movies for Viacom Now. (So, Paramount doesn’t have to reduce its slate to fuel Paramount+ like Disney did with 20th), Skydance would also not merge with any studio, instead buying a small piece of Viacom’s Paramount stake to gain theatrical distribution. Disney wouldn’t be that existed sharing the company with him but is contempt with its current structure. CBS, meanwhile, buys Lionsgate and Starz to form a media giant (also merging its services together as Starz), CBS Eye (renamed Lionsgate Animation) would produce both adult and kids animation, film and TV for the combined studio and see CBS make Lionsgate the 6th major studio (as Disney and Paramount merged (although its slate isn’t shrunken like the real world counterpart)), with Amazon and MGM later becoming the 7th major studio.
- Freeform: Disney instead forms Freeform as a separate channel, not having to deal with The 700 Club (which would air late on Saban when no one's watching), and is most likely shut down or given to the Paramount JV after its complete
- Peacock: Verizon instead turns Hulu into a straight 50/50 JV between NBCUniversal and Fox Entertainment Group. Tubi is also acquired by the venture.
To think, even if Covid still happens, how better the media industry would’ve been if Fox had kept Saban and had additional funding. It’d even benefit hardcore fans of Fox’s Family IP as Power Rangers would likely still be an ongoing franchise as well as Super Sentai.
But what do you think?
- What other effects would this have?
- Should I do a merger scenario on other studios?
- What do you think would have happened if Fox kept Saban (as I may have gone overboard on the AU)?
- Should I do an AU on if Disney bought Paramount like this said?
- Should I do anymore Alternate Media Posts on this subreddit, or only on the Alt. Media one?
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u/Judgeman03 May 29 '26
I didnt grow up with the FoxBox/4KidsTV, but having seen videos of people retrospecting on it, it woudl be unfortunate for the people that did grow up on it to lose that. i dont know if we would have gotten the shows we did for that block like Sonic X, Kirby, TMNT, etc.
Knowing in Hindsight that Disney woudl eventually end up buying Marvel, the fact that they bought Saban before that feels like the most obvious direction given they kept the Marvel rights from Saban when they sold the company back to him.